The Largest United States Cities Without a Major Professional Sports Team

Which large cities in the United States do not have an NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL or MLS team?

Here, we'll list the 10 largest US cities without one, with population figures courtesy of the 2020 census.

Honorable Mentions

• Greensboro, NC: 299,035 population
• Irvine, CA: 307,670 population
• Santa Ana, CA: 310,227 population
• Riverside, CA: 314,998 population
• Corpus Christi, TX: 317,863 population
• Stockton, CA: 320,804 population
• Lexington, KY: 322,570 population
• Honolulu, HI: 350,964 population
• Aurora, CO: 386,261 population
• Wichita, KS: 397,532 population

10. Bakersfield, California

Population: 403,455

Bakersfield is about a two-hour drive from Los Angeles and sits far away from the beaches on the Pacific Ocean. With over 400,000 people, it's one of the biggest cities in America without a professional sports team.

Like many other cities on this list, Bakersfield is home to a handful of minor league and college teams. Those include the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, the Bakersfield Train Robbers of the independent baseball Pecos League, and the Bakersfield Majestics of The Basketball League.

Plus, Cal State Bakersfield and Bakersfield College both have plenty of teams for locals to support.

9. Oakland, California

Population: 440,646

It will be a tough pill to swallow for Oakland fans, natives and residents to see their city on this list, which had three professional teams in the Bay Area city less than a decade ago.

The NFL's Raiders moved from Oakland to Las Vegas in 2019, the same year the Golden State Warriors moved to a new stadium across the bridge in San Francisco.

The MLB's Athletics are slated to move to Las Vegas in the coming years, and they're spending the next couple of seasons playing in a Minor League ballpark in Sacramento after failing to agree with the city of Oakland to stay put.

8. Virginia Beach, Virginia

Population: 459,470

Athletes ranging from Basketball Hall of Fame member David "The Admiral" Robinson and US Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Gabby Douglas to longtime MLB player Ryan Zimmerman and former NFL wide receiver Percy Harvin hail from Virginia Beach, but the city does not have any pro sports teams.

The biggest team located in the area is Virginia Beach United FC, which was established in 2019 and plays in the United Soccer League Two, which is the fourth-highest tier of American professional soccer.

The city used to host the Virginia Destroyers, a United Football League franchise, until the league folded in 2012.

7. Colorado Springs, Colorado

Population: 478,961

Colorado Springs is called Olympic City because so many winter sports athletes train there, but it does not have a top-level professional sports team.

The biggest teams in the city are Minor League Baseball's Rocky Mountain Vibes and the United Soccer League Championship's Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. The Switchbacks were founded in 2015 and the Vibes followed in 2019.

The United States Air Force Academy is also located in Colorado Springs, meaning its college sports teams play in the city as well.

6. Omaha, Nebraska

Population: 486,051

A number of teams are located in Omaha, but none of them are in the major American leagues.

The biggest teams in the city are Minor League Baseball's Omaha Storm Chasers, the USL League One team Union Omaha, and the Omaha Supernovas of the brand-new Pro Volleyball Federation.

The Creighton Bluejays teams are also located in Omaha, providing locals with some quality college sports teams.

5. Fresno, California

Population: 542,107

Fresno, California lies over an hour north of Bakersfield but is similarly far from the state's famous beaches.

In addition to Fresno State Bulldogs collegiate teams, the city has the Fresno Monsters of the United States Premier Hockey League, Fuego FC of USL League One, and the Fresno Grizzlies, Single-A Minor League Baseball affiliates of the Colorado Rockies.

The Fresno State baseball program has a strong history, with MLB players Doug Fister, Jeff Weaver, and two-time American League Aaron Judge among those who attended the school.

4. Tucson, Arizona

Population: 542,629

Tucson, Arizona lies about an hour and a half southeast of Phoenix and has a population of over half a million people, but its biggest sports teams are part of the University of Arizona.

The city has the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League, and they're the top affiliate of the Utah Hockey Club. The Tucson Saguaros play baseball in the independent Pecos League.

Tucson hosts many Major League Soccer teams for preseason training, and that often culminates in the Mobile Mini Sun Cup preseason tournament. FC Tucson is located in the city and plays soccer in USL League Two.

3. Albuquerque, New Mexico

Population: 564,559

Albuquerque is New Mexico's largest city, and while it has no top-level professional franchises, it still has plenty of teams.

The Albuquerque Isotopes and New Mexico United are the biggest teams in the city. The Isotopes are the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies in MLB, while New Mexico United plays in the USL Championship.

The University of New Mexico is located in ABQ, so the various Lobos sports teams play their games in the city. Albuquerque also has a team in the Indoor Football League, the Duke City Gladiators.

2. Louisville, Kentucky

Population: 633,045

Plenty of professional athletes have come through the University of Louisville, but there are no top-level teams in the city.

Still, between Louisville City FC in the USL Championship, Racing Louisville in the National Women's Soccer League, Minor League Baseball's Louisville Bats, and the various Louisville Cardinals college teams, there are plenty of sports to watch in Kentucky's largest city.

Plus, Churchill Downs is located in the southern part of the city, making it easy for locals to get to the most famous horse racing event in America, the Kentucky Derby.

The city also hosted the Kentucky Colonels, an American Basketball Association team that existed from 1967 until the NBA-ABA merger in 1976. The team won the 1975 championship, and its key personnel included two Hall of Famers in center Artis Gilmore and head coach Hubie Brown.

1. El Paso, Texas

Population: 678,815

El Paso is located just north of the United States border with Mexico and sits a few miles south of the New Mexico state line. Like most other cities on this list, it has quite a few teams but none in the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL or MLS.

El Paso Locomotive FC and the El Paso Chihuahuas, of the USL Championship and Triple-A baseball, respectively, are the highest-profile teams in the city. The Chihuahuas are the top affiliate of the San Diego Padres and their list of former players includes Fernando Tatis Jr., Nelson Cruz, Jeff Francoeur and Robinson Cano.

The El Paso Rhinos of the North American Hockey League also call the city home, as do the University of Texas at El Paso college sports teams.